


Tracks

by beeyouteaful



Category: Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Mentions of Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-22
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-08 14:46:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3213023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeyouteaful/pseuds/beeyouteaful
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam loves going for drives at night, and sometimes he takes walks as well, just to get away from the zombies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, here's another Adam fic *heart eyes*. More caring/loving Adam because he is literally such a sweetheart when he wants to be.
> 
> WARNING: There are mentions of attempted suicide in this fic, so if that triggers you please, please, PLEASE be cautious and/or turn right back around because I want you to be comfortable.

Detroit was not really the place to be. Everyone who lived there fled to the South or the West to survive. With all of the panic, few people stayed in the decrepit city. This meant little to no interruption from the zombies for Adam’s sake.

He lived alone in his cluttered home, but still, it was a home to him. Everything he loved was in that rotting house: his instruments, old pictures of old friends, and even the same curtains since 1896. If there was one thing Adam loved about Detroit, it was his home.

With the ever growing crime rates in the city came an increase in the amount of police patrolling the streets—and really, that wasn’t even enough to keep the criminals at bay. The vampire’s street was secluded and never had much foot traffic, so he never worried about security much. A few times, he had come home to find the occasional squatter. He would be pissed, yeah, but he never did much more than kick them out. It’s not like he would drink from them; they could be contaminated.

That’s something Adam never understood: the zombies were literally wiping out their entire race by self-contamination of their bloodstreams. Adam thought they would die of thirst before anything, considering there was barely clean water anywhere. He had to be careful with them. He never knew which ones could have poisoned their own blood. _It’s all the fucking drugs_ , he thought.

Adam thought about this a lot while driving around the city. He visited the old Michigan Theatre quite often, only to bask in the glory of its now falling apart ceiling. The rest of the theatre was gone—turned into a parking lot.

Tonight, Adam decided to visit the old train station, which was surprisingly still in service, though only to freight cars. He didn’t really know why, but he loved sitting by the tracks and watching for oncoming trains. No one dared to disturb the old railroad where he sat—although, many of the city’s citizens opted to stay indoors at night—so he often closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the deserted area.

Adam drove up to the station in silence. Unruly plants burst out of the huge cracks running along the macadam parking lot. The engine gurgled to a halt as he removed the key from the ignition and flicked his headlights off. Stepping out of the car, he shut the groaning door and patted the roof lightly in appreciation. It was a reliable vehicle.

He sighed and ran a hand through his charcoal hair. A chill ran up his spine from the cool breeze blowing from behind him. In his mind, this was the perfect night to find solace in the empty city. Adam made his way up the few stairs to the platform and then climbed down to the track bed. He kicked a few stones as he followed along the side of the steel lines. If he could, he’d walk next to the tracks for miles, but sadly, Adam had to avoid the sun and kept looking at the time on the old pocket watch he kept in his jacket.

Most of the time, Adam kept his head down, watching his step on the gravel, but every so often, he’d look up at the sky and see the moon and stars shining down on him, and he would smile to himself. He had been dead for so long. He had seen so many things—experienced so much. Yet he was so small and insignificant compared to the universe, and that humbled him. During some of his previous walks, he had to step into the shadows of some trees because of an oncoming train, but once it passed, he would take his place by the rails again.

Adam looked up and saw the lights of a train in the distance, and he made his way to the tree line. But when Adam looked up again, he noticed that the light was eclipsing something on the tracks. He couldn’t tell at first, but it looked like some sort of animal. He snorted.  _Dumb ass_.

The foghorn blew and echoed off of the surroundings. When the creature didn’t move, Adam halted and watched it in confusion. Usually, it would have moved out of the way at this point. As he got closer to the animal, he realized that it wasn’t an animal at all—it was a person. A girl.

She was dressed in a thin, white nightdress that fell just above her ankles. He couldn’t really see her face, but she was probably turned away from him anyway. Her feet were bare on the wooden railroad ties, and from what he could tell, her hair was dishevelled and blowing in the wind. She looked like a ghost—something out of a horror movie.

The train was about three miles away from her, but it was coming fast. Adam’s feet quickened their pace as he walked toward her. He watched as the girl stepped up onto one of the rails with her arms spread wide. She walked along it like a balance beam. He couldn’t help but think she looked graceful and delicate in that moment with her cotton dress flowing behind her. She stepped down from the steel rail and continued to walk in the center. She took gentle steps along the wood, and he couldn’t place it, but he had seen that gait before. By now, the train was only one mile away from her and the foghorn sounded again. At that moment, Adam realized she wasn’t going to stop or move from the train’s path. The vampire’s heart dropped into his stomach. He tried to call out to her, but his voice was lost. The locomotive drew nearer and nearer to her.

He froze. Time stood still. He _knew_ that gait! It was the girl—she couldn’t be any older than 25—who walked along his street every night. She always stopped to admire the weeds in front of his house. _Weeds?_ Adam thought, _Don’t girls like her usually gape at flowers instead?_ He watched her, sometimes, when she would kneel down next to them and run her fingers tenderly along the leaves. Adam swore he caught her talking to them at times. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t ignore her when she came by. Her shy smile haunted his dreams. She never noticed him looking down at her from his living room, but he couldn’t get over how beautiful she was when she thought she was alone. Even in the rain, when her hair and clothes would soak through, she was perfect.

Adam shook himself out of his thoughts. The train was drawing closer. The _thump, thump, thump,_ of the metal wheels matched the pounding in his head. Adam wasn’t a savior. He never had been, but he had to do something. He needed to act. He needed to _save her_.

Adam sprinted down the side of the track in a blur. The girl stood still with her hair and nightgown blowing gently in the breeze. He still hadn’t seen her face, but he was gaining on her faster than the train. His heart raced—he didn’t even know it could do that. Finally, his voice ripped from his throat in a terrifying shriek. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.  The girl turned around with a scream lost in her throat. Adam crashed into her, lifted her from the ground and leapt from the track just seconds before the train passed by with a deafening roar.

Time sped back up again as the pair fell to the ground. Adam couldn’t hear anything other than the sound of the train moving away from them. The girl was underneath him, staring up at the sky, most likely in shock. Adam climbed off of her and watched her chest heave as she caught her breath. He sighed in relief and sat next to her as she laid on the track bed.

She sat up slowly, leaning on her arms for support. Adam watched as she straightened herself out and for once, he actually felt at ease while in the presence of a zombie.

“Are you alright?” he asked, reaching tentatively for her hand. She stared at his hand, and then at his face. She didn’t speak for minutes. Adam just searched her face for any signs of assurance that she was fine. Suddenly, she burst into broken sobs that wracked her whole body. She curled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on top of them. Adam watched quietly as she rocked back and forth on the jagged stones.

He looked up to the sky again, looking for the twinkling stars, but he found that they had been overshadowed by dark, looming clouds. His eyes screwed shut involuntarily as a cold raindrop hit his cheek. He looked back down at the girl just as thunder cracked around them. She looked up at the sky with tear stains on her face just as it started to pour. It only took a few minutes for her nightgown to be completely drenched.

“Come on,” Adam commanded lightly, offering his hand to her. She eyed him carefully, but eventually accepted it. He lifted her from her spot on the ground and led her back to the station. Still holding her hand, he used his free one to dig in his jacket pocket for the watch. _4:23 AM_. He replaced the fob and focused on getting the girl somewhere warm. He could feel her shaking from the freezing rain along with the wind, which certainly didn’t help her.

The vampire stopped walking for a moment, just long enough to remove his jacket and wrap it around her shoulders. She looked up at him with eyes as big as the moon. For a moment, there was a small, reassuring smile on his lips. He realized that he had probably looked angry the entire time until that moment.

Just as quickly as his smile faded, she reached up to push his wet hair from his face and cupped his cheeks in her hands before crashing her lips to his. This time, Adam’s eyes were wide as he looked down at this girl, who almost let herself get pummeled by a train, and was now kissing him. His eyes fluttered shut as he relaxed into her embrace. His gentle hands found her wrists and held onto them for life.

When they pulled apart, even with the rain falling around them, he could see that she was still crying.

“You only live once, right?” she joked, still with a solemnness to her voice.

He wiped her tears with his thumb to the best of his ability and took her hand again.

When they reached Adam’s car, he opened the door for her and she folded herself into the seat. Then he got in, started the engine, and drove back to his home.

Adam helped the girl inside and found some of his old clothing for her to wear. He hung her nightgown on the radiator to dry and offered her hot tea. He didn’t have much to give her, but he always kept tea around for some reason.

When he walked back into the living room with the mug, she was wrapped up in a blanket, still shivering. Adam sat down on the sofa and handed the cup to her. She thanked him and sipped it. He smiled to himself as he watched her, lost in thought.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he replied curtly.

They sat like that for a while. Adam eventually wrapped his arm around her shoulders when he noticed she was still cold. The two sat in silence for a long time, just enjoying each other’s company.

Adam noticed that she had been staring at the coffee table for 15 minutes, probably in thought.

“Why?” she finally asked.

“Why what?”

“Why did you do it?”

“I don’t know.” He really didn’t. Was it because he had the instinctual urge to save a woman? Was it because he knew what it felt like to be so hopeless and have no one to drag you back out? Or was it because he loved her?

“Why did _you_ do it?” he asked. He knew that she understood what he meant.

“I don’t know,” is all she answered. Adam didn’t press any further. He sat with her and rubbed his hand over her arm reassuringly.

It was getting late, and Adam knew the sun would be up soon. He didn’t realize he was nodding off until his body jolted himself awake again. He peered over at his companion and studied her soft features. Her eyes seemed concentrated on one point in the room, and her lips were shaped into the slightest pout. Her nose crinkled as she sniffled. The color was coming back to her face, and he thought he could make out a hint of a blush taking over her cheeks.

“I needed a way out.”

“What?”

“I didn’t want to live on this planet anymore. There’s nothing here for me.” Adam looked at her more closely and realized she had started crying again. He thought back to the time when he had a wood and brass bullet made _just in case_. He knew how she felt. He got that low, too.

“I know how you feel.”

“You do?” The girl looked up to him in disbelief. “But you saved me.”

“Yeah, I did,” Adam sighed. “Sometimes, you see someone that mirrors you so much that you help them because maybe you can help yourself.”

“You… you tried to kill yourself?” Adam nodded.

“A long time ago.”

They sat in another long silence, and the vampire could feel himself falling unconscious again.

“I should go.” The girl stood and removed the blanket from around her. Adam sat up, confusion written over his features.

“No… no, you can stay.” He grabbed her hand, causing her to turn around.

“But I don’t even know your name!” she chuckled lightly.

“Adam.” His eyes pleaded for her to stay with him, as if his name would convince her. She flashed her shy smile at him and her shoulders visibly relaxed.

“(Y/n),” she said to the floor. He grinned slightly and kissed her knuckles.

“Come, (y/n). You can sleep in my bed.”

“Then where will you sleep?”

“There’s a small guest bed downst—”

“Oh, then I’ll take that room!” she interrupted. “I don’t want to impose.”

“Shh. It’s nothing. Please, come with me.”

Adam led her to his bedroom and offered the bed to her. She smiled at the floor again and quickly brushed past him to sit on the mattress.

“Cozy,” she said, spreading her fingers over the sheets.

“I hope it’s to your liking. Goodnight.” Just as he was about to turn back around into the hallway, (y/n) caught his attention.

“Please, don’t let me push you out of your bedroom.” She sounded uneasy. “…Surely, there’s enough room for the two of us?” Adam caught on to her tone; she was scared to be left alone.

“Of course.” He shut the door as she moved over to the other side of the bed. He settled in next to her and readjusted the blanket. He noticed the light was still on, so he reached over to the other side to flick it off.

In the dark, he could make out the shapes of some objects in his room, trying to focus on something other than the girl in his bed. He couldn’t help but smile. She was alive. He had saved her.

Under the comforter, Adam felt (y/n)’s fingers entwine with his own, sending electric shocks through him. That was all the reassurance he needed that they would be okay. They would help each other survive.

They would live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a second chapter coming up, so please stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 2

He couldn't shout. He couldn't _breathe._ All he could do was stand and watch.

The train was coming too fast; there was no way he could save her. He could only watch helplessly as the train continued to race toward her.

He didn't know when it happened. In a blink, she was gone. But he hadn't blinked. He saw it—saw her. There was a loud crack, and then nothing. He stood there in complete silence and felt his breath leave his body. It felt like a piece of his being died right as the train came past him. He was empty.

 _Oh, god, the blood._ Normally, what made Adam lose himself like an animal was keeping him grounded. _There’s so much blood._ Tears filled his eyes as he collapsed to his knees on the rigid track bed.

She would never walk in front of his house again. She’d never see the weeds and feel their leaves between her fingers. _Why does she have to bleed so much?_ She wouldn't see the sunrise or eat her favorite food or listen to the birds in the morning. She would never know his name—and he would never know hers.

Adam let the tears fall silently as a clap of thunder rolled above his head. He looked up, and the stars were no longer there. Grey clouds consumed the sky, and he felt a few cold drops kiss his skin. Then it started pouring, and he couldn't tell where his tears ended or where the rain began.

He conjured all of his strength into standing back up again. He walked the few hundred steps to where her body fell. What was left of the white nightgown turned crimson as blood poured from her wounds. _No, no, no._ He knelt beside her and cradled her in his arms. He barely knew her, but he felt like he had for ages. Lightning flashed across the sky as he openly sobbed above her lifeless body. If only he could have moved his damned legs. _My fault._

Adam lifted her up and carried her all the way back to the station. He kept looking down at her mutilated body and felt sick to his stomach. The nightgown was completely ruined, but he left it on her to keep her delicate body covered. Staggering, the vampire opened the back seat of his car and laid her down inside.

He drove. And drove. And drove. As the city turned to country, Adam eventually stopped sobbing and silently cried as he watched the road. His grip on the steering wheel tightened like a vise, and he clenched his teeth together to distract himself from the weight of his situation. There was a dead girl in his back seat.

It wasn’t like Adam hadn’t handled corpses before, but… But she was different. He felt like he lost a friend. Maybe even a lover, had he mustered up the courage and spoken to her at some point.

The rain pounded against the windshield as he sped down the road. He kept looking in his rearview mirror to see if she may have survived, but she stayed limp in the backseat. How could he have let this happen? Why didn’t his legs listen to him when he told them to run and save her?

She probably had a family. They would never see her again. They’d never know what happened to her. The more Adam thought about it, the more angry he felt and the more he hated himself.

 _Of course you couldn't save her; you're an incompetent dead thing forced into hiding! Your wife is dead, actually dead. You have no reason to live anymore._ The voice in his head rattled on and on about the low-life that he was. Adam tried to shake himself out of it, but the thoughts got louder and louder. He gritted his teeth together to take his mind off of it. It became unbearable.

The vampire gripped the steering wheel even tighter and let out a terrifying roar as he launched his car from the bridge he was driving across.

 

* * *

 

"Adam! Adam, let go!"

His eyes snapped open and met the blurred outline of a body sitting up in his bed.

"Adam, you're hurting me." He immediately released her arm and stared at her features. She wasn't angry, but scared, as if she had witnessed a loved one hurt himself.

"I'm sorry," he said solemnly. A sudden wave of relief washed over him when he realized that he was no longer dreaming. "You're alive," he breathed. She smiled down at him, taking his hand in hers.

"Thanks to you." She blushed and averted her gaze. "Were you having a nightmare?"

"Yes," he answered curtly.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"...Yes," Adam hesitated. “I didn’t make it. To you.” He shifted, but (y/n) moved closer to him and stroked his arm reassuringly. “The train hit you… I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine, Adam. See?” She cupped his face in her hands and rubbed gentle circles on his cheeks. “I’m here. You saved me.” The vampire nodded with a sad smile.

“I couldn’t get my legs to move. I tried to yell. I was helpless.” He swallowed hard. “I picked you up and put you in the back seat of my car. I didn’t know what to do, so I just drove. I kept looking back to see if you would wake up—that maybe all of it was just an illusion and that you survived…” The girl wrapped her arms around Adam’s shoulders and buried her face in his neck. “I drove my car off of a bridge.” Her arms tightened around him, and Adam knew then that he had only been dreaming.

“I’m fine. It’s okay. We’re both okay,” she mumbled into his chest. _Funny thing, though. I wouldn’t have died. Vampires don’t drown,_ Adam thought. The girl tensed in his arms and pulled away slightly.

“…What?” They both stared at each other in complete silence. He searched her eyes for any indication of emotion or reaction, but they were just as wide as his. 

“Did I…say that out loud?”


End file.
